Great At Giving

December 19, 1990|By MARTHA GROSS, Society Editor

The Salvation Army`s refrigerator door must be absolutely papered with notes. How else could it keep track of the zillion projects it runs at Christmas? Its League of Mercy picks up and delivers 10,000 gifts to Broward nursing homes and hospitals. Medibag Delivery distributes 3,000 bags of health items from the Broward County Medical Health Association. It runs all of those toy collections, distributions, food drives, parties and more.

And, of course, it collects money in Christmas kettles.

Know how its kettles came to be? In 1891 in San Francisco, a Salvation Army captain, Joseph McFee, was trying to figure out how to pay for free Christmas dinners for the poor. He recalled that back in Liverpool, England, people would toss donations for the poor into a pot on the waterfront. What could be simpler? So he placed a pot at the Oakland Ferry landing and soon collected the money needed. The idea took hold so quickly that the army could hardly round up kettles fast enough. By 1897, the tradition was so entrenched that Boston kettles paid for 150,000 Christmas dinners! Today, they gather donations in Korea, Japan, Chile and Europe.

FESTIVAL

Odds are, unless you`re a hermit, recluse or Scrooge clone, you`ll have something to do with Winterfest. Only it`s not Winterfest anymore; it was rechristened the Sunshine Festival. But it`s still a whopper of a holiday celebration.

The kickoff was ``Christmas in Old Fort Lauderdale`` on Dec. 1, a street fest in the old section of the city, mainly for kids. They could fax letters to Santa, play games, watch shows or enter the grade-schoolers photo or tree- decorating contests.

The windup will be ``Light Up Lauderdale,`` a giant street party in Bubier Park on New Year`s Eve. Last year it lit up 50,000 revelers. Expect more this year. Lots of live entertainment -- with jazz star Gato Barbieri heading the list -- a laser-and-fireworks spectacular, games, rides, puppet shows and more. (All for a $3 gate -- kids under 12 free.)

In between are 22 other events, including a golf tournament, a Latin Fiesta in Miami, Saturday`s boat parade, tomorrow`s Sunshine Festival Ball and the Dec. 28 Blockbuster Bowl at Joe Robbie Stadium.

HOW TO HELP

If you want to help some good causes at Christmas, here`s one reason to pick the Red Cross: Services to Military Families programs are paid for by donations, not by federal funding. (Call 581-4221, ex. 306)

One reason to give to the Poverello Center for AIDS victims: It`s running in the red, and its ink will only get redder when it starts distributing food for Christmas dinners and feeds 225 people with AIDS. The government, so far, has given zilch. About 80 volunteers there help people with AIDS of all ages, from a 7-month-old baby boy to middle-aged folks. (Call 943-3993)

One reason to give a present to (or join) SPARK, the year-old support group for Fort Lauderdale`s Discovery Center: Anything that can make science fascinating to kids, as this marvelous hands-on museum does, is worth supporting. (Call 462-4115)

One reason to give to Covenant House: South Florida`s street kids appreciate Christmas presents, too. And the house badly needs operating funds. Remember, most of those street kids are not there by choice. Covenant House is their only haven -- where they can find a warm meal, a bed, someone to listen and care. And a glimmer of hope that they can get off the street and beat the odds that say they will live and die there long before their time. (Call 561-5559)